Not really much to get too excited about here. With a gin and a sherry you enjoy, this is not a bad appetizer cocktail. On the other hand, there’s nothing particularly deep going on. A dash of orange bitters, maybe, and an orange twist would do much to point up the details on this one.

I guess the name is a pun on “rococo“. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

Wow! That is interesting! The whole thing comes across amazingly floral, not at all like I think of Rye Whiskey Cocktails. In fact, I think this might be the first Rye Whiskey and Dry Vermouth Cocktail I’ve made that I’ve truly enjoyed!

Of course that does mean I should think up a new name. Maybe “Reformed Cocktail”?

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

Right, well, sure “Syrup of Prunes” isn’t exactly a SEXY ingredient, with its promises of regularity and high fiber content.

All the same, it’s a darn tasty sweetener! Kinda raisin-ey and complex, especially following the procedure below, this isn’t something to be laughed at.

It is a bit of an odd bird of a cocktail. Gin, Sherry, Orange Juice, and prune syrup. Actually, this cocktail, the Blues Cocktail, and the Ship Cocktail are the only three in the book that call for Prune Syrup.

Not exactly a Martinez. Complex and sorta fruity. It would be really interesting to put this in front of someone blind.

I really enjoyed it. And the prunes cooked in the syrup are delicious to eat!

*From Eddie Clarke’s Shaking in the Sixties, “Prune Syrup. Put one lb of prunes (which have been soaked in cold water for 24 hours) into a saucepan with two heaped teaspoonfuls of brown sugar, a piece of vanilla, and enough cold water to cover them. Boil until half the liquid has disappeared, then add a tumblerful of claret and simmer until the prunes are cooked. You may add a port glass of brandy to the prunes about ten minutes before removing them. Strain the contents of the saucepan and then pass the juice through muslin. When it is cool put it in a bottle and cork tightly. This syrup will keep for two to three weeks. The prunes, of course, are delicious to eat.”

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

Odd quest for Sherry this time around. I’d lately been enjoying a Lustau Dry Oloroso where sherry was called for, but that bottle was getting a bit tired, so I forced myself to finish it off.

Figured it would be a piece of cake to find a decent Amontillado or similar. Heck, I’ve been buying the Lustau Amontillado since I was in college, how hard should that be to find?

Kind of hard, it turns out. Why on earth is it most upscale grocery stores have a better sherry selection than most liquor stores? Heck, I even visited the esteemed John Walker and Co downtown and they didn’t have a single bottle of Sherry. What is up with that? Has Dominic Venegas stolen it all for Gitane?

Back to the cocktail, obviously, this isn’t going to make a non-sherry drinker turn their head, but for the rest of us, here’s another nice, light aperitif cocktail for those times when the booze just seems a bit much.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

Pineapple Cocktail
(6 People)First take a glass of fresh pine-apple juice (1 oz Pineapple Juice). Soak the fruit from which this juice has been extracted for two hours in 2 glasses of Dry White Wine (1 oz Bonny Doon Erbaluce White Wine). Mix these together, adding as well the juice of a quarter of a lemon (Juice 1/8 lemon); and pour the whole into the shaker with 3 glasses of Sherry (1 1/2 oz Bodega Dios Baco Fino Sherry). Stand the shaker in ice, but do not put any ice into the mixture. Shake, strain and serve with a small piece of pineapple in the glass. This is a very mild cocktail.

This certainly is a “very mild cocktail”! Luckily enough, along with being mild, it is tasty. Another one you could make in a bar or restaurant without a full liquor license.

Never having used actual fresh squeezed pineapple juice before, I was totally stunned by the generous, long lasting, foam this cocktail developed when shaken. Without the added agitation factor of ice, even!

I’ve known pineapple juice created foam in liquids, but never seen it work to this extent. This certainly bears more investigation.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

Procne’s husband, king Tereus of Thrace (son of Ares), agreed to travel to Athens and escort Philomela to Thrace for a visit. Tereus lusted for Philomela on the voyage. Arriving in Thrace, he forced her to a cabin in the woods and raped her…Philomela then wove a tapestry (or a robe) that told her story and had it sent to Procne. In revenge, Procne killed her son by Tereus, Itys (or Itylos), and served him to Tereus, who unknowingly ate him. When he discovered what had been done, Tereus tried to kill the sisters; they fled and he pursued but, in the end, all three were changed by the Olympic Gods into birds…Early Greek sources have it that Procne was turned into a nightingale, singing a beautiful but sad song in remorse for the death of her son; Philomela turns into a swallow, which has no song.

For some inexplicable reason, Philomel ends up being another name for the nightingale.

And, uh, well, like the Golden Slipper, that’s an odd myth to want to evoke with a cocktail!

That said, this isn’t an awful cocktail. Odd, it must be admitted, but rum, dubonnet, and sherry is an interesting flavor combination. I used the overproof, funk filled, and sadly no longer distributed in the US, Inner Circle Green, as it needed to stand up to all the rest of the ingredients in as a relatively small fraction of the cocktail. It worked quite well. Another interesting choice might be a spiced rum, if there were actually any of those worth drinking.

Maybe the New Orleans Cajun Spiced rum? Would fit right in with the grind of black pepper!

Should you order this cocktail at the next Savoy Night at Alembic Bar, July 26th?

Signs point to a definite, “Hmmm. Let’s think about that before ordering.”

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

I’m still unsure about “Quinquina” used generically as an ingredient. Dubonnet Rouge is definitely a Quinquina. Just not sure if it is what is called for in cocktails that use the actual word.

I’ve been playing, off and on, with the Sarticious Gin, and enjoy it. I can’t find much information about the company that makes it. I guess it is in Santa Cruz and the owner also runs the Alexander Cellars Winery. Beyond that, their use of non-traditional botanicals like Cilantro has gained them some attention.

Anyway, for some reason, I thought of it for this cocktail.

Kind of a kitchen sink recipe, as far as ingredients go, but fairly enjoyable. The Cassis and Apricot liqueur end up being more hinted at than actually present in the flavor profile of the cocktail. Mostly I get slightly exotic tasting Sherry and Gin. Enjoyable enough to make again.

Gotta say thanks to the Shabbanigans for sending out this lovely cocktail shaker. I promise to use it in good faith and hope to see you soon!

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.

Apparently, I am crazy for liking this cocktail. I tried it a while ago for myself and thought it a really cool puzzle of tastes. I gave one to Mrs. eje to try. Interestingly, her first impression was that it was a whiskey cocktail, but she also liked it.

Then I sent the recipe to a few friends. Crickets. I sent the recipe to some bartenders I know. The silence was deafening.

I made it again a couple other times, including tonight, and still think it rocks.

I do have to say I over-squooshed my almonds when making this batch of orgeat, thus the kind of dottiness due to the almond oils and solids in the cold cocktail. Still tasty despite the somewhat unappealing appearance.

Robert Vermeire tells us, “This cocktail was invented by H.C. Harrison, who supervises the American Bars of the Gordon Hotels in England.”

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.